Into Frozen Waters
by Pieces57
Summary: Alex moved into Gatlin to escape her reality. Ethan was left alone again in Gatlin by Lena. The two join forces and try to stop the neew found darkness that haunts not just Gatlin. Barely knowing each other at first, they both find themselves drawn close.


Just a year ago, I used to think Gatlin would never change. That was before Lena, the girl whom I fell in love with. It had been a long journey though; life is not easy when you fall in love with a Caster. Yes, my Lena Duchannes was a Caster. Nor light or dark, but both. Just when everything was starting get normal as things could get, everything changed. And Alex step through.

I'd like to say that Lena and I are together. The truth hurts though. She's gone. Everything packed and left with her. Even Macon Ravenwood, her uncle, left. They moved to Alaska, or at least that's what she told me. Link hasn't been so well either. He's still freaking out about the vampire thing. We both went through weeks of pain. Emotionally. That was until Mrs. English announced we had a new student. Everyone's head snapped up, even Savannah's and Emily's. Mrs. English let the girl walk in. I gasped. Her eyes were green, exactly like Lena's had been. Link must have notice too because he elbowed me. "Dude, she looks almost like Lena." "This is Rachel Williams. She's moved here from New York City," Mrs. English introduced. The girl flinched at her name. "Please call me Alex," she said sitting in the front row. I studied her from behind. Her hair was dark brown and pulled back into loose ponytail. She was wearing a dark blue blouse and a golden necklace. I couldn't see her face but I knew it contained a pair of beautiful green eyes.

October 5,

I felt myself pause at the doorway. I was scared. The teacher was saying I was the new student. As if I needed more attention. When she introduced me I felt all eyes on me. The scariest part of it was when I sat down; I could still feel someone watching me from behind. I stared down at my hands.

Pain. Shock. Anger. Sadness. Emotions ran through me. I was having a vision of the future. It wasn't mine though. I was seeing a tall boy staring up at the sky. The clouds were black and mysterious. _Chaos_. I stared into the boys eyes. _Beautiful_. They were a warming dark brown. He didn't see me though. His eyes were locked on something behind me. I turned. _Dangerous_. I knew her, one eye gold, and the other green._ Ethan_! She was a Caster. A Caster who wasn't dark or light. Both. I blinked once and I was back in the classroom. The teacher was looking towards me.

Ethan walked out into the school parking lot. He glanced around to see Savannah smiling at him. He turned away. Link caught up with him. "You now they say that the new girl Alex is filthy rich." Ethan turned to his friend. "And?" he asked. "I was thinking bout' getting you-" Link stopped talking when Ethan gave him a cold look. Link looked past his shoulder. "There she is," he said. Ethan followed his gaze. Alex was standing in front of her car, staring down. She was wearing earphones. "Should I go talk to her," he asked. Link grinned. "Fine." Ethan hesitated for a second then started towards her. Alex saw his shadow and looked up. Her green eyes looked calm despite of her angered expression. Ethan stopped a few feet in front of her. "If Savannah Snow sent you here, please leave me alone," Alex said. She still had the earphones in her ears. "I just came over to introduce myself," Ethan confessed. She looked back up at him. Then she studied him. Her eyes grew wide. "Sorry, it's a habit!" she blushed. Ethan put his hand out. "Ethan Wate." She smiled. "Alex." Link cleared his throat. "And the sparks fly," he coughed. Ethan elbowed. "Thanks." Alex held out her hand.

Alex honey,

We will be home in before you go to sleep. We went to the city to buy some appliances for the house. Go ahead and go back out for something to eat. We love you!

Alex frowned and balled up the paper. Why couldn't they take her? She sighed and plopped down on the couch. She opened her book bag and pulled out her homework. Maybe it could distract her until they got back.

I was surrounded in snow. No, I was buried in snow and dying. I could feel the metal box in my hands, slowly warming it up. I was trying to get rid of it. It seemed that wherever I went, the box followed. The first time I'd opened was when I was seven. Grandma had warned me of the powers within it. Powers that only one person every thousand years could have. A secret legend that stretched all the way back to the old magic. My hands were trembling and the box glowed.

I woke u trembling in sweat. I felt for the lamp. There was whispering coming from the metal box. I was not used to this house or this town. The air here was so fresh it made me gag. The people so close it made me sad. I'd never be that close to my family. Not after all the doctors' appointments, therapy meetings', and family arguments. I was the lunatic or recluse. I was the one to wear the golden necklace with the skull on it. There was a knock on the door. My sister stuck her head in and smiled. "I see you're up," she whispered. I nodded. She stepped in. "I brought you some bagels." She handed me the plate. I shoved it away. "I don't want what you touch," I muttered. I got up and went to my closet. Julie appeared beside me. "Don't avoid me Alex. You know how hard it was for everyone to decide this." I pulled out a lime green sweater. "Whatever you say Julie," I said and took out some jeans. I looked her right in the eyes. "Just don't stand in my way." Julie glared at me and walked out the room. I smiled and went into the bathroom.

Ethan walked the halls of the high school. _You are a stupid boy Ethan Lawson Wate_, a voice whispered in his mind. It startled him and he dropped his books. A cold breeze passed through the hall. There was a silent moment, as if the world had stopped around him. It was momentarily though, Alex walked by him, smiling. _I grow tired of these games, _the voice whispered. Ethan turned towards Alex and grabbed her hand. A shock went through him. Alex pulled hers back and stared at him. "Are you okay?" she asked, giving him a crazy look. She bent down a gathered the books in order and handed it to him. "Well at least be careful. No one else needs to lose a limb," she said cracking a smile. Her eyes seemed to grow bigger and lighter. "Sorry bout' that," he said. She nodded. "I see you were going to science," she pointed out, eyeing the big textbook. "Yep, have to get outta this place." She nodded again. Then she jumped as if something had startled her. Her eyes dashed around the hallway. Alex looked back at me. "You should be leaving now," she whispered and ran off down the hall. Ethan glanced after her. The golden skull on the back seemed to stare back at him.

_I need you Ethan! _the voice cried in his mind. At first he'd thought it was Lena, but this voice more quiet and shy. He knew it was a girl. _Come to me Ethan_, the voice said urgently. A picture flashed through his mind for a second. It was a golden necklace with a golden skull hanging from it. It was the one Alex had been wearing today and the week before that. _Maybe it is_, the voice said. It didn't sound angry, just in a bad mood. Someone was communicating with him and as freaking him. He was sitting at the table by himself while Amma was in town. His dad was sleeping. _I need you now_, the voice cried again. The person wanted him to come to them. It was ten o'clock at night and Amma would kill him if he left the house. But he had to go; there was some current pulling him towards an object. He got up and grabbed his jacket and the keys to the Volvo. _That's right come to me Ethan. You know where to go_.

Heart beats fast, the energy runs at last. Alex sat on the roof of her house, smiling into the dark. The moonlight lit up the one oak tree in her backyard. Her eyes fell onto the headlights of a car. She tilted her head. Who would be so stupid to actually come here? Well the question was answered when the car pulled to a halt and the guy stepped out. _Really Ethan_, she thought.

He heard the voice more clearly now and could make out who it was. He was staring up at the roof of the two-story home. She was sitting cross-legged on the rooftop, wearing her pajamas. "You are one strange boy Ethan," Alex called out. She smiled. "I felt the need to come," he answered. She nodded. "I knew you could hear me," she said. "What I didn't know was that you'd follow my voice here." She got up and disappeared. A window on the first floor opened. Alex poked her head out. "This is the only way in without waking anyone up," she whispered. Her eyes glowed faintly. Ethan hesitated.

Alex was one strange person. One thing Ethan knew for sure was that she wasn't mortal. He knew what Amma would say if she found out. "I'm not supposed to help you," Alex mumbled. Ethan didn't know if she meant him or herself. She bustled around her room, stopping every once in minute or so. Ethan felt uncomfortable here, due to him not knowing her so well. He studied her as she moved around. Link would freak if he'd been here now.

Chaos was everywhere. The alarms flared and fires erupted on the streets of Gatlin. Just when things couldn't get worse, there was an explosion. Ethan dashed out the car and ran for his home. Alex stood on the sidewalk staring at the horror. The air was so full of ash; she had hard time breathing. _I can help_, she thought. A rush of fresh air blew through the sky. Time slowed and froze altogether. Someone walked towards her in the still air. It was her sister. Her blonde hair was flowed down her back and she was wearing a long black gown. A smile was plastered on her face. Alex drew in a sharp breath. "It has been years, my dear little sibling," Eron said. She held out a hand. "What are you doing here?" Alex whispered. Reality was slowly setting in. The terror that tortured the town. She turned back to Eron, who was smirking. "It just a sign of the End of Days," Eron said laughing. "Just watch for yours." The air started to thicken again. Then in a flash of lightning Eron was gone, leaving destruction behind her. Rain began to fall, smothering the heat and ash. A hand touched her arm. Ethan was standing in the rain. "One of aunt has to go to the hospital," he said. "Then you should go with her," she said. Ethan shook his head. "It's too early to go. I need to sleep." Alex ran her fingers through her hair and nodded. "I need to get home too. My mom is probably wondering." She headed for the car and froze. "This wasn't anyone's fault Ethan. It was mine," she said over the rain and got into the car. The black car disappeared and Ethan was left alone. He looked at his town that was half in ruins. Amma would've told him to stay away, but there would be no stopping him. There was still a Gatlin library, even though it was burning too. It contained some of the secrets of Gatlin. Now he knew another secret that needed to be solved. Who was Alex?

November 7,

My name is Alexandria Pauline Roth. I was moved to a small town called Gatlin. My parents are somewhere in America, not caring about me. My sister was out to kill me or someone important. An example would be the fire a few weeks ago. People are still recovering from the shock. With some of my money, some of the main sites in here are being rebuilt more quickly. The school was unharmed from the fire, so everyone had to go back to school two days later. Today is a Monday, so I have to go to a meeting.

Link was panicking like crazy. His "powers" have been wacko for the pass weeks. Sometimes he had super strength. Sometimes he didn't. Ethan had been helping out so much it hurt. Alex had told him to meet her at the Dar'een. She been isolating herself from everyone lately, making excuses to the teachers. Ethan had been thinking about her even if he tried not to. Something was off about her and not good. Amma was cooking up a storm today, preparing to invite the new girl over. He could remember the scene from a few days ago. "I hate get-togethers. They always ended up bad," Alex argued. Link was laughing like a maniac. Alex elbowed him. "It's a welcome for you and your family." Her face paled. "My mom works so much," she whispered. Her hand went through her hair and she sighed. "Why me?" she asked. She fingered with her golden necklace, whose dead eyes seemed to burn his. Alex got up from the bleachers and grabbed her bag. "How about six," she demanded. It was more like an answer to the question. Link looked confused. "Am I invited to this party?" Alex rolled her eyes. "Idiot." She ran off out the gym.

The doorbell rang at exactly six o'clock. Amma beat Ethan and opened it, smoothing her dress. Alex was standing in the doorway, her hair up in a bun. She was wearing a dress that look like a coat. Another girl was standing behind her, a few years older. "Hi Miss Tradue." Her eyes flashed for a split second. The table was set for a mini dinner, which could feed to whole county. Everyone talked a little at the time. Ethan sat across from Alex, watching Amma eye her suspiciously. The golden necklace was glowing around her neck. It literally was moving, turning in a circle. Amma was getting up now, gathering the dishes. Julie offered to help out and the two disappeared into the kitchen. Alex turned her head towards him. "You barely talked the whole time," she whispered. She was right. He was too afraid to talk to her with the necklace staring him down. "I was just tired," he lied. Alex wasn't fooled. "I recall a time where you begged me all day to come here," she said. She smiled at him. _Times will get harder_, she said in his mind. Ethan still wasn't used not having Lena here. She was the one who should be in that seat where Alex sat. Times were harder now. There wasn't any time for games. Alex held out her hand. _You took a risk for her Ethan. Take another one. _He considers it for a minute. _You lead_. He took it.

While Julie and Amma were in the kitchen, they made a run for it. Alex took out her keys and started the car. Inside, Ethan could tell this was new. _Well, at least newer than the Volvo_, he said. They drove for a few minutes. Alex glanced at the houses as they past. "This place was hit badly," she said. Ethan was confused. "Did you really do this?" he asked. Her eyes stared at him. "My eldest sister did. She's not completely nice. This was her way of that," she answered. Her face turned red from embarrassment. She gripped the stirring wheel. _My family is divided by our powers_. Alex stopped in the outskirts of the county. She was shaking. "People who are good wear bracelets like this one," she pointed to hers. "People who decide to become evil wear a necklace or chain like this one," she pointed to the golden necklace. Ethan stared at it. The skull was dimmed of light, but it still freaked him out. Alex started to shake even more. Her eyes were getting misty. "I thought I get to choose. My whole family got to accept me." Something was rumbling in the backseat. Ethan glanced back. In the middle, a metal box was glowing faintly. He reached out and grabbed it. The box churned with energy. "They say only one person can hold such power," Alex said taking it away from him. "I don't want to know what's inside." She stopped the engine and opened her door. "Come along now," she demanded. She led him down a small dirt path that opened up two a white farmhouse. "My grandma had it made for the next her. Which is me," she said. Her eyes were still filling with tears. _I want to be normal_, she cried. The box was crying to, connecting to her. Alex sat down on the porch, wiping the tears. Ethan knelt down beside her and took her hand. It was unnaturally warm. He ignored it and held it tight. "Normal isn't good enough. Being something out of ordinary seems better than this," he said pointing at himself. He got a smile from her. "I have some really good friend. You're probably one of the best," she said. "Help me up."

Eron was sitting in the kitchen. Her eyes ran through the family pictures. Not one had shown her. All there was were Alex and Julie. _The lucky ones_, Eron thought. _They're coming_, the voice whispered in her mind. She stared at the front door which was slowly opening. The ground rumbled and she disappeared, letting the scrapbook fall to the ground.

Ethan,

I'm asking you a big favor. It's been awhile since I've been to school with all this. My mom disappeared a few nights ago. I need you to help me find her and Eron. There was another forest fire. Fifth one in the state. Tell my teachers to send my work home. Come by at nine tonight. Julie is getting smaller. Someone is using dark magic. Wish me luck at this meeting today. Bye,

A.

Ethan stared at the written note. It was dated over a week ago. The big farmhouse was deserted. He checked the rooms. Everything was slashed and trashed around. The only room that managed to be spared was Alex's, which was the biggest one. There was a stack of old papers on her desk. He picked up the first page. It was a nicely drawing. He stared more closely at the picture. It was him but not him. His eyes were different, more like Alex's. Her green eyes flashed in his mind. Someone was standing behind him. They gasped. He turned and dropped suddenly to the floor. Eron tapped her foot like she was thinking. Her eyes stared into his. They were glowing. But there was something wrong. They were green.

"I always knew something was off!" Ethan said. He held the ice packet to his head. The energy in the room was giving him a bad headache. Alex was sitting beside him trying to calm him down. Eron sat across from him showing her bright smile. "She's here under a truce. She can't hurt you," Alex explained. She looked at her sister, who was looking at him. "I noticed you were human,"Eron whispered to Ethan. Alex hushed her. Even though neither would admit it, there was a resemblance. Alex glared at him. _Idiot_.

Amma was calling him from downstairs. Ethan looked nervously at Alex. _I'm staying here anyway_. She was laying on the bed with her back to him. _Lie for me_. Her dark brown hair was splattered across _his_ pillow. _Stop thinking_, she whispered. Amma called him again, louder. Alex rolled over and stared into his eyes. _I need to sleep in peace_. She smiled at him. Her green eyes sparkled. _You can always join me_. Ethan hadn't even been near a girl since Lena. Alex held her hand out. _You said you'd take the risk_, she whispered. "Ethan Lawson Wate!" Amma screamed outside the door. Alex cracked another smile. _Lawson_? Ethan slid under the covers. Alex eyes were bogging. "You actually listened to me," she whispered. The connection between them seemed to grow stronger the closer they got. She made herself closer enough to hear his breathing. "I'm risking," she whispered. _So am I_, Ethan said? He leaned forward. "It's quite," she said. Her forehead was touching his. Ethan teased with a strand of her hair. He could see her blushing hard. _I tired_; she buried her head on his chest. Her breathing slowed and she stopped talking. Ethan held her as close they could get. The whole house went silent around them. Ethan considered a possible future that was yet to come. Maybe this was a new beginning.

Blue eyes peered at him through the dark car windows. Lightning crackled through the violent rain, which seemed to pour in buckets. "Do you need any help?" Ethan asked the girl in the car. Silently, she shook her head no. Something was off about her and Ethan knew what it was. All the storms for the past two weeks and the mysterious hearse told him that. That old connection was slowly coming back and was making him uneasy. Alex only showed up a few times a week, which was unlike her. She liked being around him. Now it was like she was barely here and her mind was faraway. There was a break in the storm and he looked up to the sky. The girl mumbled something unknowingly under her breath. Now all the both had to do was get through a new day of school. At least with Lena.

_Are you there?_ Her voice was echoing through his mind and he felt instant relief. The bell rang a minute late and Alex rushed into English. Her eyes were hidden with a pair of sunglasses though there was no sun. Ethan saved her a seat beside his and was looking uneasy. As she sat down and whispered, "What's wrong?" He gave her a faint smile and shook his head. _Take the glasses off_. Alex gave him a crazy look. _It won't look good_. Ethan shrugged, reaching over and pulling away the shades. He gasped and dropped them. Alex smiled tragically. Instead of her normal green eyes, there were startling blue ones staring back at him. Then the door opened once more.

Ethan stared in disbelief as Lena stepped into the classroom. Alex turned away to look at her, the expression on her face was unreadable. _Do I know her_? She asked turning her attention back to him. _No_. He gave her a sad look. He even noticed her hair was a lot shorter than he'd seen it. Lena sat down a few rows behind them. _Why is she here?_ Alex was getting impatient. She tapped her feet in anticipation, giving him a cold look. Mrs. English started handing out papers about the new book they would be reading. Alex took her with a fake smile on her face. "Thank you ma'am," she said politely. As the teacher passed them, she shot Ethan a glare. Alex's smile grew wider. _Nice isn't she? _

Alex ran quickly into the house and locked every door and window. She made sure no one was watching her as she went into the basement. Her mom was still at work while Julie was in her room. The steps were cold and slick as ice. Her usual rocking chair was in the left corner of the room, sitting beside the porthole. Her desk was piled up with paintings and paperwork. Alex sat down in front of the mess and dug through it. She found the picture of the little girl with the curly black hair. She'd seen an older version of her in a vision a few months ago. Now she felt as if the vision was a handful of acid. What was happening to her?

_Why are you avoiding me Alex? _Ethan was getting tired of being pushed away now. Amma had made him his favorite dinner to cheer him up. He ate it in despair, wanting to be out with Alex. The problems were now every time they got close to each other, she was the one to push away. _What do _**you**_ want?_ Her voice sounded tired and agitated. Ethan slumped against his chair. _You. _He let his head touch the table. There wasn't any response from Alex, just silence. Amma finished the dishes and wiped her hands on her apron. She said goodnight and left him alone in the kitchen. _I really like you Ethan_, Alex whispered. He lifted his head and smiled. _Say the right words_. Alex hesitated. _Aren't the guys the ones who are supposed to say it first?_ He paused for a second. _Come over. _There was a moment of silence in his mind like she was thinking. He could feel her debating the possibilities. _Okay_, she answered. The tug left his head. There was a soft knock on the door, low enough for Amma not to hear. Ethan got up and -opened the door. Alex smiled up at him with pile of paper. "What's that?" Ethan whispered. Alex hushed him and went up the steps. "Nothing for you," she answered. She sat down on his bed and took out a pencil. _You wanted me come over right?_ She gave him a pity look. He sat behind her and glanced over her shoulder. On a piece was a picture of a black-haired girl about five. Who's the girl? Alex smiled at the picture and then turned in his direction. "It's a picture of my grandmother when she was little. She always loved to show us pictures of her when she grew up. I like to redraw them," she explained tracing the outlines. He had to admit they were pretty nice drawings. Alex pretended to not listen to him. Ethan pushed a strand of hair from her face and smiled. "Those are some very sharp eyes," he laughed. Alex held on to his hand, squeezing it. Ethan let go and shook his head. "I thought you didn't want me close anymore," he said. She buried her head in the pillow. _I'm sorry Ethan._ He laid down beside her and pulled her to him. _It's okay_, he whispered. She looked up from the pillow and smiled. _You are a strange boy._ She laughed and ran her hands through his hair. Are you staying tonight? Alex breathed in deeply and sighed. "I wish I could…" she started to say but then broke off. _I'd loved to._ She rested her head on his chest and listened his heartbeat. _I'm staying_. Ethan pressed his lips to her forehead. It was surprisingly cold and unnaturally pale. He shuddered and held onto her. _I'm not letting go._ He listened to her fall asleep and wished he could fall asleep that fast nowadays. Truth was now every time he closed his eyes, something evil was waiting for him. They were various nightmares that started off as dreams. Ethan quietly murmured a line that Amma used to read to him. Alex mumbled something in her sleep but didn't buge farther. Ethan risked closing his eyes and would regret it when he woke up. This time the nightmare began a nightmare, full of screams and cries. Alex was waiting for him and gave him a knife. She spoke only two words to him the entire time. "Come on!"

"Ethan wake up!" Alex cried. She was leaning over an uncomprehending Ethan who was lying with his eyes half open. _Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!_ She could feel his heart beating a little. Her eyes were collecting tears and half of them fell every second. _I love you_, she whispered. Amma burs through the door and gasped. Alex looked up her and cried harder. "It's all my fault. I should've never come over here," she said. Amma knelt down and put her hand to his chest. "He ain't dead, just floatin' like a fish right now," she said. Alex gave her a confused look. Amma shook her head. "You'll need to take him to the mountain. I can't help your kind," Amma told her with an apologetic look. "Just promise me you will take care of my boy," she whispered. Alex nodded. "I promise madam." She smiled faintly and blinked her eyes once, ending up at her house. Julie was waiting with a blanket and a cup of coffee. Alex grabbed the blanket and wrapped around Ethan. His eyes were closed completely now and was breathing in an even pattern. Julie sat beside her sister and hugged her. "It's just an aftershock from the nightmare Alex," she said. Alex looked into her sister's green eyes with a look not so human. Her icy blue eyes started to water again. "I should've never have meet him," she whispered. Julie gave her sister hug and left the room. Alex laid next to Ethan and kissed his cheek. _A thousand times more_, she whispered. She closed her eyes and let a tear fall.

_That tear fell slowly like time as time fell too. Ethan felt something cold touch his face and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't move. He could hear and feel her next to him but couldn't be next to her. He zoned out from different time periods. One time he was listening to Alex sleep and another listening to the piano her grandmother played. It felt strange being there but at the same time there was a sense of excitement. She would tell him about the family history and their place in the world of magic. "All people belong somewhere. You though, Ethan Wate, are special. No one will ever be more serious about you than me," Edith would say, her front missing when she smiled. Ethan would nod and thank her. Only in his mind he would always think Alex was abnormal but in a good way. Edith opened her hands and a butterfly flew from it. "Those are things who know their way out. My question is do you know," she said. Her eyes momentarily turned blue and her face flashed a familiar smile. _Remember.

Alex was fast asleep beside him when his eyes fluttered open. Ethan lifted him up and felt surprise how stiff his muscles were. There was a light coming from outside. He gradually got up from the sofa and went to the window. Julie was standing by the big oak tree with a glowing object in her hands. Ethan could tell it had to be nighttime now again. "You woke up!" Alex cried from behind him. She ran up and hugged him tightly to him. Her skin was unbelievably freezing and getting pale. He wish he could hold her tighter but something else was bugging him. A secret was being kept away from him for awhile now. Alex looked up at him with her blue eyes and sighed. "I guess maybe I'm the one who's paranoid," she whispered. "What?" Ethan asked. Alex hushed him and took off the necklace. The one he should've noticed stopped glowing weeks ago due to her change. "Take him to the VA moutains to my mentor," Alex said pushing him towards the window. He gave her a terrified look. "What are you doing?" he asked incredibly. She stopped and gave him a small kiss for good luck. The necklace started to glow until its eyes were shining like the sun. Ethan dissolved in midair along with the glowing object but leaving Alex. She wiped away a tear and left the room. The door close behind her and the room grew dark. The reason I tell why the room was so dark was because if people paid attention they'd see the shadow. That is the shadow of an old friend.


End file.
